A Kingston, Ont. man is willing to head to war-torn Ukraine to help out

A Ukrainian-Canadian living in Kingston says he’s willing to leave the safety of Canada to take up arms against the Russian invasion.

His voice joins an international outcry of support for Ukraine and another Ukrainian Canadian, currently living in the besieged capital of Kyiv says the sentiment is very much appreciated.

“I’ve already got a hold of Mark Gerretsen’s office, our MP in the area, to see if I can get any help for fast-tracking a passport so that I can leave the country to go,” said Kingston resident, Nick Semchison.

Semchison is a 58-year-old Ukrainian Canadian who said he just wants to help. In fact, Semchison says he’d take up arms if need be.

“I believe it’s worth putting your life on the line (for) innocent people,” he said, adding that the Russians “have already bombed daycare centres, hospitals. How much more can we watch?”

It seems Ukraine could use the help. At least one person living in Kyiv says it’s appreciated.

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“Everyone is feeling the support from the west. It’s like the entire world has condemned this Russian invasion and that lifts everyone’s spirit to the nth degree,” said Marko Suprun, a Winnipegger who now lives in Ukraine, and who spoke with Global News via Zoom.

Suprun said when you think about what Ukraine is up against in the form of the Russian war machine, the country is holding its own.

“Look, Ukrainians have a spine. Let me put it to you this way,” Suprun said. “And that spine is made of adamantium from Wolverine. That’s what’s emerged out of this.”

“Yes, 500,000 people are trying to leave the country. Yes, many people have left Kyiv but they all haven’t crossed the border, they’ve gone to other cities, other villages, and they’ve found even there that they’re not safe. This has fuelled our response to the Russian invasion.”

And stories like those are what fuel people like Semchison, a Kingston business owner, to take action and stand up for Ukraine any way he can.